Why does JSON only allow a string to be a key?

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Why does JSON only allow a string to be a key of a pair? Why not other types such as null, number, bool, object, array? Considering JSON is tightly related with JavaScript, could I conclude the reason from JavaScript specification (ECMA-262)? I'm totally a newbie to JavaScript, could you help me to point it out.
Maybe it's not wise using null and bool, but I think number and object are OK. Just like Hashtable in C# which allows me to store almost anything as a key. I'd like to use generic types for key not only string in some situation; value in JSON is generic, why not key.
Thanks!

Posted 15-Feb-12 15:41pm

paladin_t

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Manfred Rudolf Bihy · Answer 1 · 2012-02-24T05:18:00

Solution 2

If you just go here http://www.json.org/[^] you'll see the definition of object is the first syntax diagramm. It is part of the JSON specification that the name part of a name/value pair is always a string.
Factum per definitionem.

Regards,

Manfred

Posted 24-Feb-12 5:18am

Manfred Rudolf Bihy